Pro Ducks: Sabrina Ionescu still leading the way for former Ducks in the WNBA

Oregon women’s basketball head coach Kelly Graves has found great success in his coaching tenure, both at Oregon and in previous roles. He’s been able to find and recruit incredible talent to his program and many of those players have then gone on to succeed in the WNBA.

Currently, there are four Pro Ducks in the Women’s National Basketball Association whom Graves coached in their college career.

Sabrina Ionescu – New York Liberty

Since the turn of the century, Sabrina Ionescu has arguably paved the way for GOATs in women’s college basketball. 

Ionescu is a two-time WNBA All-Star, the 2023 WNBA Three-Point Shoutout champion, the 2023 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup champion, and still holds the NCAA all-time triple-double record.

To top it all off, the former Duck turned New York hero is the only player – men’s or women’s – in NCAA history with a career 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists.

With players like Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark following in her footsteps, the former Duck has gone on to further greatness since she entered the WNBA.

The first overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, she quickly became the fastest player to record a triple-double in league history – just six games into her career.

Ionescu was also the first WNBA player to reach 500+ points, 200+ rebounds, and 200+ assists in a single season.

Averaging 15.7 points per game throughout her career, Ionescu has reset the standard for guards in the league. Coming off an injury in her rookie season, she has taken the Liberty by the reins and even led them to a spot in the WNBA Championship.

Nyara Sabally – New York Liberty

Joining Ionescu in New York is fellow Duck Nyara Sabally. Playing two seasons together in Eugene, Sabally and Ionescu have brought their dynamic duo energy to the professional court.

In college, Sabally earned All-Pac-12 honors, averaging 13.9 points, 1.5 blocks, and 7.4 rebounds per game.

Her career in New York has seen similar success. Drafted fifth overall in 2022, Sabally was a rookie this past season and is gearing up for a second year in the league.

Sabally’s rookie year saw 76 total points and 70 rebounds for the Pro Duck. She frequently played behind former UConn star Breanna Stewart, the current starting forward for the Liberty.

Sabally also played for the ZVVZ USK Praha team in the WNBA off-season. Nyara is not the only Sabally in the league who was once on a Duck roster…

Satou Sabally – Dallas Wings

Satou Sabally, drafted second after Ionescu in 2020, was an all-around powerhouse for Graves and the Ducks.

At the end of her collegiate career, she was seventh overall on Oregon’s all-time scoring list and had brought in 11 double-doubles during her time in Eugene.

The Dallas Wings have only helped Sabally blossom as she was picked for the WNBA All-Star team in 2022 and was on the WNBA All-Rookie team in 2020.

Sabally has averaged 15.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 3.4 APG throughout her four seasons in the league. When facing her former teammates on the Liberty, she has a 1-2 record.

When Ionescu and Sabally were picked 1-and-2 in their WNBA Draft, they became the fourth pair from the same team to be taken in the first two picks of the draft.

Satou also plays professionally in China for the Shandong Six Stars.

Ruthy Hebard – Chicago Sky

Last but not least, teammate to both Saballys and Ionescu, Ruthy Hebard is on the Chicago Sky. Hebard was selected eighth overall in 2020, making the trio the first-ever group of three Ducks to all be taken in the first round.

As a Duck, she averaged 16.4 points a game while contributing 9.0 rebounds and 1.17 steals per game. 

While her stats in the league don’t quite meet the standard she set in college, Hebard still averages 4.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 0.5 SPG. In her rookie season, she led the Sky in shooting, converting 68.2 percent of her shots from the field.

She was also the first Sky rookie to collect a double-double in a regular season game since 2018 when former Tennessee Volunteer Diamond DeShields did so.

Hebard is currently an assistant coach for the TCU Horned Frogs women’s basketball team and has played internationally in Italy and Turkey.

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